MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS. 133 



done by the aid of pupils under the direction of the teacher be the manufac- 

 turer of the public opinion? 



The expense in ornamenting school grounds should be nothing in cash. 

 The work should be all a donation and the plants and trees should be from the 

 woods near at hand, or from the gardens of the patrons, and the teacher who 

 will not take hold of a work like this as earnestly as the teacliing of geogra- 

 phy and grammar, lacks an important element which should aid him in secur- 

 ing a certificate. The whole subject is an important one and the secretary 

 saw a field of work for our State Pomological Society to engage in, and to 

 bring the matter to the attention of the public, the following circular letter 

 was sent out to a few leading horticulturists and educators : 



Michigan State Pomological Sooif:ty, } 

 Secretary's Office^ Grcaid Eapids, Aug. 16, 1879. f 



My Dear Sir, — Will you kindly give me your opinion as to the most feasible 

 method of ornamenting our country school yards, — especially your impression upon 

 the following points: 



1. How to fence the yards. 



2. What trees to plant. 



3. Arrangements of plantations. 



4. How to care for and save the trees. 



5. How" can flowers be managed. 



6. How can trees, plants, and flowers be made useful in the economy of the school. 



I desire to publish your reply in my annual report for 1S79 and will be very grate- 

 ful for your aid in developing the general subject for the advancement of taste in 

 horticulture. Please reply by September 15th. 



Yours faithfullj', 



CHAS. W. GARFIELD, Sec'y. 



A majority of the answers received were short, saying the writer had never 

 given any thought to the matter and with no experience declined to venture 

 an opinion. 



But a few friends of the idea sent communications of value which are ap- 

 pended beneath as contributions to the volume of 1879 and it is to be hoped 

 that the matter will not drop here but that the suggestions ofiered may be as 

 seed sown in good ground. If the Michigan State Pomological Society shall in this 

 manner develop an interest in the adornment of our country school premises 

 and suggest methods by which this embellishment shall be utilized in giving 

 instruction to the schools and the people of the school districts it will have 

 opened a field of labor second to none that it has attempted, in importance to 

 the state. The first reply which is appended is from the pen of Prof. W. J. 

 Beal of the State Agricultural College. 



PROFESSOR BEAL'S OPIiN^IOX. 



We are accustomed to hear a great deal said in favor of our common schools. 

 They are a favorite theme with the teacher, the minister, the lawyer, the doc- 

 tor, the enterprising farmer, and especially of all who are candidates for a 

 public office. 



In these times, every wide awake American citizen, if he is a true patriot, 

 sees the necessity of educating the voters. It is fortunate for our country that 

 so many of our leaders are striving for the interests of our common schools. 

 But let us not fall back, resting on our reputation. A good name can be 

 maintained only by constant effort. In some of our school districts, if I mis- 

 take not, there is getting to be considerable indifference. The people are too 

 conservative. They lack interest and enthusiasm. They entrust the care of 

 their children to unskilled and cheap teachers. 



